The Parliament of 1327 began at Westminster on 7 January. It had originally been scheduled for 14 December 1326, and was officially called by writs of 28 October in the name of Edward II. These stated that the king would be out of the country, and that the business of Parliament would therefore be conducted before the queen and his eldest son, Edward, duke of Aquitaine, in his capacity as keeper of the realm. In reality, Edward II was on the run, and it was the queen, her lover and ally Roger Mortimer, and the prince, who had invaded England in September 1326, who were in charge. On 3 December, after it had taken control of the great seal, the prince's administration issued supplementary writs proroguing the meeting to 7 January. By the time Parliament finally met, the Despensers, father and son, who had held the realm in their grip for five years, had been executed, and Edward II was a prisoner in Kenilworth castle. Before it ended on 9 March, the king had been deposed, Prince Edward had been proclaimed and crowned king, and the Parliament had reconvened in the name of Edward III.

This Parliament clearly presented great opportunities, but was also held with the realm in a state of confusion. Many private petitions must have been submitted: not only would those with grievances against the deposed king have hoped for a kinder ear from the new regime, but less politically motivated people would also have been quick to take advantage of this opportunity to petition, after a year without a Parliament. This chapter aims to examine the language and content of some of these petitions, in order to establish what they can tell us about the practical impact on the petitioners of this sudden and violent regime change. How far does the language of the petitions presented at this Parliament reflect what was going on during this time? And how do the unique conditions of 1327 help or hinder us in dating petitions to this year?

For the period under discussion the wording can be both helpful and problematic in dating a petition. The swift changes in events left many petitioners bewildered, and the consequent contradictions and inconsistencies in the petition can help to tie many to the ambiguous period between Queen Isabella's invasion and the accession of Edward III.